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Have the Angels lost patience with Brandon Wood?

Mired in a season-long slump that shows no sign of abating, Brandon Wood was out of the starting lineup for Thursday night's game against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

And Angels Manager Mike Scioscia acknowledged it might be more than a one-day absence for the struggling third baseman, who is hitting .162 with only three extra-base hits and 35 strikeouts in 117 at-bats.

"We'll give him a day and if we have to give him more than one, it's definitely something we'll consider," Scioscia said. "The long-term goal is to get Brandon productive, and that's what we're going to keep working toward."

The Angels replaced Wood on Thursday with Kevin Frandsen, who does not appear to be a viable long-term option. Maicer Izturis could take Wood's spot, but Izturis is not expected to come off the disabled list for about a week.

Demoting Wood to triple-A Salt Lake is not an option because Wood is out of options, meaning he would have to clear waivers before going to the minor leagues and would probably be claimed based on having hit at least 20 home runs at that level for five consecutive seasons.

"He's definitely a guy we're going to try to unlock because he has so much potential," Scioscia said.

Scioscia said he had seen "some frustration start to mount" in Wood, who was not being as patient as he needed to be at the plate.

"At times you see him really start to grit his teeth a little too much and squeeze the bat a little too tight," Scioscia said.